Doing the best job we can at aging Henry from the various signs of kitten-hood, we've placed his birthday at August 18th. We might be off a bit, but it's worked out to that for more than three weeks now, no matter how we try to figure out his age --- so, we've settled on that one. That being the case, here are some pictures that show him at 11 weeks and 3 days old. Henry loves to eat. The good thing about him, though, is that he is NOT picky. He likes a real variety, whether it's kitten food, chicken, turkey, pumpkin or scrambled eggs. This is the first week where he is able to digest his food like a real cat, because his intestinal bacteria seems to be now developed. To help him through that stage, we had been feeding him boiled chicken, pumpkin and scrambled eggs. Well, he has developed such a taste for all of them that he loves a variety. Check out the last picture in the slideshow above, and you'll see his little plate of all flavors. Of course, he doesn't really know that there have been probiotics on his food lately, so we won't add that to his favorite list. One thing that Henry would love is a sleeping buddy. None of the big cats are ready to let him into their beds during nap time quite yet, so the little fellow has to sleep by himself. To help him feel better about that, I gave him a fluffy plush dog that I have (named "Charlie George"), and it makes a great companion. Henry loves to cuddle and bite him and sleep with him! Right now, Henry's biggest problem is teething. When they aren't actually breaking through, he is a very sweet little fellow and self entertaining. When his teeth are coming through, though, he has to chew everything and he gets mean. Usually he can be distracted with a dangly toy, etc., but it's quite a job! Can't wait for all his little teeth to be in. More later.
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They are finished! Mom and I finished Elizabeth's blanket a couple nights ago, and last night we finished mine! It's no secret that the two of us are really crazy about "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit". Anything Middle Earth is really enjoyed around here. We've got swords hanging in our room (all replicas of the movie props) and even have a full-size replica of the Black Arrow hanging on our beam! Well, we were really thrilled to find out earlier this year that some fabric was released at JoAnn's with "Lord of the Rings" patterns. One of them was a flannel in blacks and browns with the logo and Frodo's picture and name all over it. Cool! We bought a bunch of it (actually, the first time we found it, we had a great coupon and bought the whole bolt!) and decided to make large throw/blankets out of it. We both like to cuddle under a blanket when watching movies, and we've been meaning to make some for years. This seemed the perfect opportunity. No other flannel really seemed to look like a great match, because we really wanted it to look like a "Frodo blanket", not a pieced quilt or anything. After discussing some different options, I told Mom that I really wanted to try making it out of the one fabric. So, that's what we did! They may not win any prizes for construction or originality, but they are amazing!! CLICK TO ENLARGE. These pictures show the blanket. It's the same on both sides. We didn't want batting or anything fluffy inside, so we decided to use something different. Elizabeth's has a white 100% cotton table cloth in there, which makes it very drapey and cuddly. Inside mine, I picked an old cotton "summer-weight" blanket that we've had for years. It's really thin and cuddly --- and absolutely no static in the winter! They are quite large, as you can see. That is my double bed above, and it spreads out to cover it (not draping down, of course). We didn't want anything too small, because it's nice to totally cuddle up in a chair. The flannel isn't the quality of good quilting stuff. It's like the typical JoAnn's "Snuggle" flannel, so lower quality fabric. We pre-washed and dried it before sewing the blankets. Doing this on high in each machine makes sure that everything shrinks as much as it is going to before actually putting anything together. The blanket and tablecloth, of course, were also totally pre-washed and dried as well. To make the blankets wider than the yardage (which was about 40" wide once washed and dried), we cut three 2-yard lengths. One of those lengths, we took and cut in half the long way (making a piece approximately 2-yards long by 20" wide). Then, we sewed a 20" wide piece to each of the full 40" pieces. The finished blankets are about 60" wide by 75" long. They are each slightly different, due to the different inside layers and the seams needed for those. It was a lot easier to sew the flannel to the cotton blanket, because the pieces of fabric stuck to each other. The cotton tablecloth was pretty tricky, because everything was prone to sliding around.
All in all, it was really fun to make these, and the results are so cuddly. I can't imagine sitting without this! It's also really exciting to have the Frodo theme. We can't wait until our annual "New Year's Trilogy Week" where we take five days to watch all the Hobbit movies and Lord of the Rings films in order. (We watch "Two Towers" and "Return of the King" back-to-back on New Year's Day, because they really are better when seen in a row.) So, that's the newest project we've been working on. Lots more sewing to do, but most of it will probably have to wait until after Christmas. We've got a trip to Florida coming up soon, too, so looking forward to that! More later. Why, oh why, does the time have to change??? I just can't stand this time of year --- and just when I get used to it, the time will come for the clocks to move forward again! We've been busy. Henry is teething. Things have been a little rocky in the cat world. Henry is adjusting to life in the house pretty well, and the other cats are starting to get used to him and establishing their "pecking order". Sammy is still nervous, but it takes him a while to get used to any changes. Years ago, I decided to put a throw pillow on my bed. It was two weeks before he could even go near the bed again! What's been sad is the fact that the big cats have some kind of virus or something. It's something that swells their breathing passages and throats up, making it difficult for them. We actually took Sammy to the vet (his first time since getting fixed) and even had him x-rayed. Nothing wrong inside, no obstructions or anything like that. So, it's just a matter of waiting it out, making sure they eat and drink and sleep. Lots of praying, most of all! Henry is now eleven weeks old, getting bigger and really teething! He chews everything. You can't leave anything around that might be chewable. We have put all kinds of things down for him to play in and chew on, and he's enjoying his new life. He really misses his mother, and since none of the big cats are willing to cuddle with him yet, I gave him a furry plush dog that I have. He seems to really like that and curls up with it quite often. Henry is particularly cute when sleeping, so here are a few pictures. You can click on them to enlarge to full size. Aside from the cats, we have gotten a little time this week to do other things (though not too much, because the felines have really been taking a lot of time). Elizabeth spent a day in the kitchen working on baking. She made some fabulous bread, but the best were . . . bagels! They were amazing! She even made a salt bagel for me. Totally scrumptious. While Elizabeth was busy baking, Mom and I actually got some time to sew! It was SO fun!! We're working on making blankets for TV watching. The two of us really want blankets made of the "Frodo" flannel that we got this Summer. We almost finished one blanket already and the other is about half finished. I'll post photos of those as soon as they're done!
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SAMWISE: MY HONEY-POT
Colossians 2:8:
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. BEATRICE: MY HONEY-BEE
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Edward James Eliot
My "favorite" member of the Clapham Sect. Not very much is known about him, but what is preserved keeps a beautiful memory alive of an exemplary Christian man. William Wilberforce Quote:
May I look to Him for wisdom and strength and the power of persuasion, and may I surrender myself to Him as to the event with perfect submission, and ascribe to Him all the praise if I succeed, and if I fail say from the heart thy will be done. For you Jesus Christ came into the world. For you he lived and showed God’s love. For you he suffered the darkness of Calvary and cried at the last, ‘It is accomplished.’ For you he triumphed over death and rose to new life. For you he reigns at God’s right hand. All this he did for you, though you do not know it yet.
Where there is one, there is a majority of one; and when the rights of the majority take away from the rights of the one, then the many will themselves suffer.
~Henry David Thoreau~ I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. You see, that's where I belong. That's home. That's why I came back, because you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can.
~ Bilbo Baggins ~ FAVORITE BOOKS & FILMS
Gone With the Wind (Mitchell) Genesis of a Legacy (K. Ham) Prisoner of Zenda (Hope) Scaramouche (Sabatini) Amazing Grace (2007) Bertie & Elizabeth (2002) Farmer's Daughter (1947) Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) Secondhand Lions (2003) Sweethearts (1938) SCARAMOUCHE QUOTES
He was born with a gift of laughter & a sense that the world was mad. The future is to be read with certainty only in the past. Man never changes. PRIDE & PREJUDICE:
A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment. PRIDE & PREJUDICE:
Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion. WINSTON CHURCHILL ON
KING GEORGE VI "His conduct on the Throne may well be a model & a guide to constitutional sovereigns throughout the world today & also in future generations." "For 15 years George VI was King. Never at any moment in all the perplexities at home & abroad, in public or in private, did he fail in his duties." |